Korea and neighbours field top ten players for Universiade

Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei have all sent current top ten players for the badminton event at the Gwangju 2015 Universiade while Thailand, with several former top ten players, is also fielding a very strong team.  The Universiade opening ceremony is set for this evening in Gwangju yet participant lists for only a few sports have been made public.

Photo: Badmintonphoto

Korea has a 12-member team consisting of current top ten players Son Wan Ho, Sung Ji Hyun, Lee So Hee, Shin Seung Chan, Lee Yong Dae, and Ko Sung Hyun, as well as former top ten players Kim Ki Jung, Kim Sa Rang, Yoo Hae Won, and Ko Ah Ra.  Only the two Korean players who are currently members of university teams – singles players Jeon Hyeok Jin and Kim Hyo Min – have yet to enter the world’s top ten but both have been in Grand Prix Gold finals in the past year.

China has current women’s doubles world #3 Luo Ying / Luo Yu, as well as Ou Dongni / Yu Xiaohan, who peeked their heads in the top ten earlier this year.  Also looking like contenders are Bitburger Open men’s doubles winners Wang Yilu / Zhang Wen and China Masters runner-up in women’s singles Hui Xirui.

Chinese Taipei has both of their top ten singles players in Gwangju, Kazan silver medallist Tai Tzu Ying in the women’s event, and Chou Tien Chen in the men’s.  Accompanying them are ten more dozen quality players, most of whom have at least been in Grand Prix finals.

Thailand, which has had a lock on the men’s singles title, is sending both the 2011 and 2013 gold medallists, Suppanyu Avihingsanon and Tanongsak Saensomboonsuk respectively.  Former top ten player Porntip Buranaprasertsuk and Busanan Ongbamrungphan, who have each won major singles titles as well as reaching two Grand Prix semi-finals together as a doubles pair, will lead the Thais in the ladies’ events.  Also in Gwangju is 2011 men’s doubles gold medallist Bodin Issara.

Russia has a large, 16-member badminton contingent but it lacks the big names that featured in its home Universiade in Kazan two years ago.

The team event gets underway on Monday and the individual events a few days later, with the last gold medals to be awarded on Sunday, July 12th.

Shown below are the player lists as obtained from the Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee.  Player profiles should be available from the Games website eventually.